LOS ANGELES — UCLA’s 6-foot-10 duo of sophomore forward Adem Bona and redshirt senior center Kenneth Nwuba combined for 38 points, 10 rebounds, five blocked shots and five first-half dunks to lead the Bruins to a convincing 75-44 victory over St. Francis (Pennsylvania) in the season opener for both teams on Monday night at Pauley Pavilion.
Bona, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year last season, scored 22 of his career-high 28 points in the second half as the Bruins turned a 10-point lead into a blowout. Bona scored eight of the Bruins’ first 12 points in the second half as they stretched their lead to 44-27. He added nine rebounds and a career-high four blocks.
“It feels amazing to be able to share the court with my teammates,” Bona said when asked about playing in his first game since a left shoulder injury cut short his freshman season last March. “To have the coaches on the side, to be able to put on a jersey again, it’s an amazing feeling playing in Pauley, the fans, everyone, just an amazing feel in general.”
UCLA coach Mick Cronin sees a high ceiling for Bona and is prepared to push him toward his potential.
“I still think he can get better and it’s my job to continue to get him (there) … your strength is your weakness right,” Cronin said, before referencing a recent Bruins standout. “His strength is he’s a tremendous athlete and as good a competitor that I’ve ever coached.
“The difference is he’s just a better athlete than Jaime (Jaquez Jr.). Jaime is the same competitor but Adem is a world-class athlete.”
Junior guard Lazar Stefanovic (a Utah transfer) added 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Bruins.
“Right now, (Stefanovic) is our best shooter,” Cronin said. “He’s our best reader of screens. He talks the most, he’s our smartest player. He had eight rebounds and he turns it over about once a week, if that.”
Nwuba had 10 points. Aday Mara, a heralded 7-3 freshman center from Spain, had two points, one block and three fouls in five minutes in his college debut.
The Bruins shot 55% from the field overall (29 for 57) and scored 48 points in the paint.
The victory was a milestone for Cronin, who won his 100th career game at UCLA to begin his fifth season in Westwood.
“It means I’m still going,” Cronin said postgame with a chuckle. “But look, if you’re coaching here, you can forget individual accolades.
“You’ll never ever ever accomplish what Coach Wooden did.”
UCLA men’s basketball head coach Mick Cronin on winning his 100th career game in Westwood. pic.twitter.com/YxTvHnSipx
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) November 7, 2023
The program has also won 26 consecutive home games, the longest active home winning streak in the nation.
Cronin’s starting five was sophomore guard Dylan Andrews, freshman guard Sebastian Mack, Stefanovic, Bona and Nwuba, the only player left from the UCLA squad that reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in 2021.
Bona and Nwuba had two dunks apiece to stake the Bruins to an 8-2 lead, but St. Francis kept it interesting after that, tying the score at 17-all with 7:26 left in the first. The Bruins seized momentum with a 15-5 run to close the half and led 32-22 at halftime. Nwuba had eight points – on 3-for-3 shooting – in the first half.
“Big to big connection,” Nwuba said. “That’s what it is.
“(Adem’s) playing with intensity and very emotional, very intense too, so when I see him playing with me I’m like oh my gosh, I love this. The big-to-big connection, that’s what I love.”
UCLA, which held St. Francis to 33% shooting, was 31-6 last season and won the Pac-12 regular-season title with an 18-2 record, but Bona is among a handful of players who will be counted on as the program experiences its biggest roster overhaul under Cronin. Bona, Andrews, Nwuba and redshirt sophomore Will McClendon are the only returning players who were part of last season’s rotation.
Freshman Berke Buyuktuncel, a 6-9 forward from Turkey, did not play because he has not been cleared yet by the NCAA. Mara was cleared late last week.
The Red Flash, who had 21 turnovers, were led by sophomore forward Gestin Liberis with 12 points.
UP NEXT
UCLA (1-0) will return to action when it hosts Lafayette (0-1) on Friday at Pauley Pavilion.
“I think it’s going to be scary playing with two bigs,” Bona said. “I think we’re going to do a lot of things together on the floor with two bigs on the floor.
“From a guard standpoint, it helps us a lot,” Stefanovic said. “It makes us be open more because everybody shrinks inside.
“If you don’t shrink, that’s what happens, dunk after dunk after dunk.”
Kenneth Nwuba, Adem Bona and Lazar Stefanovic on UCLA basketball’s 75-44 win in their season opener against Saint Francis. pic.twitter.com/HNMDbjscEX
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) November 7, 2023
https:/Twitter.com/Pac12Network/status/1721788415317004497?s=20